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Team Carter defensive end J.J. Watt #99 of the Houston Texans (left), defensive tackle Marcell Dareus (99) and Kyle Williams of the Buffalo Bills (right) celebrate during the first half of the 2015 Pro Bowl.

Power Take: Pro Bowl has become an unnecessary joke

The league’s annual all-star game is a running joke. This season alone, 30 players originally selected won’t actually participate. Of those, 16 are ineligible because they play for either Carolina or Denver and are busy getting ready for the Super Bowl. Yes, players from the two best teams can’t play. Brilliant!

Others who have backed out do have legitimate injuries. The rest simply don’t want to go. That’s how Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor gets in. He had a nice season, but few would say it was a “Pro Bowl” year.

That waters down whatever honor comes with participating. Even the original selection process is flawed. Should the Bills’ lone original representative, LeSean McCoy, really have been chosen after finishing 12th in the NFL in rushing?

Television ratings might be decent (although they were at their lowest in eight years in 2015), but taking the physicality out of football results in three hours of glorified two-hand touch.

The one issue I can see is bonuses in player contracts for making the game. The league and players’ association need to orchestrate a plan to rectify that and end this charade.

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Power Takes are opinion blasts from Bucky, Sully & members of The News’ sports staff -- three will appear in Wednesday’s and Friday’s sports sections.